John C

Below is a pic of clay being applied. You can see how the ashi are formed with the edge of the stick or pallet knife. And yes, mine is also star stamped dated 1944. John C.

Fujiwara would be the clan name the smith wants to associated with. Minamoto is another popular one you will often see. John C.

Gareth: Below is the reference for your mon. I don't know the name, however the mon is associated with "Ya" (arrow). Also, the numbers in kanji on the end of the tsuka match the stamped numbers on the other fittings. John C.

I believe Matt from Sohei swords is in VA. John C.

To add, there is an order. From Ohmura's site. Note the larger seppa are on the blade side.

I agree with Colin. Firstly, it looks like grenade fragmentation to me. Secondly, it's important to give respect to the individual's memory as he most likely did not survive. John C.

Brian: You will hear that Ebay is a minefield and to stay away, however it's worth noting that many of our trusted sellers also sell on Ebay! So, on any site, be patient and look at every aspect of the sword without reading the description first (it's probably salesman crap anyway). For example, many listings will say "samurai" when describing a WW1 or WW2 sword or use the term "pilot tanto" or "suicide knife", all of which are used to attract buyers but are wholly inaccurate. Study condition issues and know what to look for (kizu, higare, etc.) then study the blade carefully. Look for recent NTHK or NBTHK papers. Don't necessarily shy away from mumei blades; they are often cheaper because they don't have a name, gimei or otherwise, associated with them. Are there dealers to avoid? Yes. You can find many of them discussed on this site. Lastly, as others have said, there are no diamonds in the rough. Sword sellers know what they have and know what they are worth. If a sword seller is giving an amazing deal, there's a reason for it. You just need to understand 1) why is it so cheap, and 2) is it acceptable to me. John C.

Mike: Just to add to what Bruce said in re: the dots. There was an old video posted some time ago that showed a smith making farm tools that used blades. The smith noted in that video using 3 dots in a triangle as a maker's mark. He also indicated it had been done for some time. So as Bruce noted, probably nothing to do with assembly but rather a maker's mark of some kind. John C.

Thank you! Unfortunately, I passed on a papered Echizen Rai Nobuyoshi because it didn't have the older style marks. I'll know for the future. John C.

Do the new (2023) NBTHK security features still include these print marks? Thank you, John C.

Looks like the tassel was attached in the original picture. Wonder what happened to it. John C.

This is the only picture I have of the whole blade. Not much detail there. John C.

Steve: Just as a point of interest, the pic below is from my Kanenobu (out of polish, star stamped gendaito dated 1944). Notice the style of hamon is consistent with yours. This was done by tapping the edge of the pallet knife on the edge of the blade when applying the clay. The "ashi" (legs) were used to reduce the stress on the blade when quenching. John C.

Michael: I'll probably be corrected on this, however I believe the flower design on the back strap is plum flower, which would also indicate Chinese origin. John C.

George: I think the marks are most likely just errand file or chisel marks. The ones I have seen, albeit that's a very limited sample, have been kanji or western numbers written fairly plainly in pencil. And the number would match the stamped or written numbers on the tang or other parts. Below is one from one of my swords that matches the stamped numbers on the fittings. John C.

He was apparently a smoker. I like the tobako-ire sagemono with kiseru and classic manju netsuke. Very cool statue. John C.

@Bruce Pennington Four diagonal dots at the end of the nakago. John C.

The leather on the tassel looks brand new so I'm thinking reproduction. Dented saya and the whole rig appears too clean to me. No clear picture of any stamps. Personally, at 1400 I would pass. You can get these all day for under 1000 on ebay in original condition. I've seen dozens go in the 800 range over the last couple of years. I would be patient on this one. John C.

Thanks to all for taking a look. A teaser... my next project, currently in the works, will be a yanone/yajiri stand... BTW, everything is done without power tools (drill excluded) from an apartment workbench (except the sanding, of course). John C.

This kake is made in a modern style using traditional methods (hand tools; mortise and tenon joinery - no mechanical fasteners). I found the Tsuki no Usagi story interesting (okay, my wife thought the rabbit was cute). Figured maple with simple marquetry inlay for the rabbit. The moon is spalted maple with Dutch foil and applied patina for the moon-lit clouds. The back is flat so it can sit against the wall. John C.

Here's one from Panther wholesale. John C.

Another consideration would be why would someone take a nice sword and "turn" it into a mantetsu? I'm not sure it would raise the value. But personally, I don't think there is enough to say conclusively one way or the other at this point, though I would lean toward not being a true mantetsu. IMHO John C.

If you have the time, this thread has a ton of info. John C.

There is a Kumagai Co. LTD. pottery manufacturing in Kyoto. Could that be it? John C.

No problem. For further info, I take a screenshot of the nakago, or whatever, then label the pic with the translation. Here is an example of what it looks like. John C.